1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary manual controller for use with a game machine for playing a competitive game with simulated racing cars, for example, to reflect a game player's rotary control action in the development of the competitive game played on the game machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
One conventional input device for use with game machines, for example, is a steering-wheel-type rotary manual controller including a steering wheel rotatable with a shaft. The game player turns the steering wheel in one direction or the other to enter control actions for playing the game on the game machine. The input device is usually combined with a game machine for playing a competitive game with simulated racing cars, for example.
The steering-wheel-type rotary manual controller comprises, in addition to the steering wheel mounted on one end of the shaft, a bearing by which the shaft is rotatably supported and a detector attached to the other end of the shaft for detecting an angular displacement of the steering wheel. While seeing the game as it proceeds on a display screen of the game machine, the game player turns the steering wheel through a desired angle in one direction. The angular displacement of the steering wheel is transmitted through the shaft and detected by the detector, and a signal generated by the detector is transmitted to an electronic control system in the game machine. Based on the signal supplied to the electronic control system, the electronic control system controls the game displayed on the display screen, e.g., moves a displayed game character in a corresponding direction in the displayed game.
With the conventional input device, the shaft which supports the steering wheel is freely rotatably supported by the bearing, and does not allow the game player to perceive physically the angle through which the steering wheel has been turned so far. The absence of a physical indication of the angular displacement of the steering wheel may possibly distract the game player's interest from the game.
One solution is to fit a helical spring over the shaft or connect an end of a helical spring to an arm projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, the helical spring being adjusted to exert no forces to the steering wheel when the steering wheel is in its neutral position. When the steering wheel is turned from the neutral position in one direction or the other, the helical spring exerts forces to the steering wheel for thereby resisting the turning of the steering wheel. Therefore, the game player who is gripping the steering wheel can sense the resistive forces applied from the helical spring to the steering wheel, and hence can physically perceive how much the steering wheel has been turned so far. Consequently, the game player is able to manipulate the steering wheel finely at well and become more interested in playing the game.
When the game player turns the steering wheel in one direction or the other, the resistive forces applied from the helical spring to the steering wheel increase or decrease progressively depending on the angular displacement of the steering wheel. With the progressively increasing or decreasing resistive forces, the game player finds it difficult to accurately spot the neutral position of the steering wheel.